Case Overview

PPB Case #10-67330

On Sunday, August 15, 2010, at 1:53 a.m., three officers responded to an apartment complex on Southwest 13th Avenue after an apartment complex employee heard an occupant calling for help from one of the apartments. Officers approached the apartment door and heard faint sounds coming from inside. The officers knocked on the door several times and announced their presence. The subject finally answered, but the officers could not understand him. The officers could hear the subject groaning and were worried that he was in need of medical assistance. They opened the door with a complex master key as they announced again they were the Portland Police.

Once inside the apartment, the officers found an adult man lying on the floor naked. As they started to ask the man what was wrong, he jumped up, clenched his fists and screamed at the officers. One of the officers again stated they were the Portland Police and they were there to help him. As one officer was making this statement, the subject charged at the officers. As one of the officers was backing away from the charging man, he was able to Taser the man. The man fell to the floor, but did not follow the officers' directions. At the end of the Taser cycle, the subject became combative, aggressively kicking at the officers and refusing to follow their directions. The apartment was a very small space and the officers were not able to get the subject handcuffed as he fought against their efforts to control his hands and kicking legs. The officers did apply the Taser again and were eventually able to handcuff the man.

After the man was handcuffed the officers were able to evaluate him and realized he was dazed and confused. They saw that he was breathing hard and had a glazed look in his eyes. An officer asked the man if he had any medical conditions. The man was able to tell him he was a diabetic. The officers then requested an immediate medical response to their location.

After medical personnel provided treatment for low blood sugar, the man was transported to the hospital for further evaluation. The subject did not have any injury from the Taser. Being able to quickly get the man handcuffed allowed the officers to discover the cause of his aggression, which turned out to be a medical condition. A prolonged physical fight with the subject could have caused injury to him and delayed the medical treatment he needed.